Read Online Sweetest Little Sin by Christine Wells - Free Book Online
Authors: Christine Wells
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attentions of a suitor she didn’t like. The mere thought of allowing Radleigh to kiss her made her stomach turn over. How could other women bear to bed men they didn’t love?
They strolled beneath bobbing paper lanterns, the soft tinted light playing over them. It was a romantic scene, and she wasn’t entirely surprised when Radleigh covered her hand with his large one and pressed it.
Panic rippled through her.
Oh, this was not a welcome sign. She would have to decide, here and now, how far she was prepared to go to achieve her mission. Fail to draw the line now and she’d make the fatal error of showing her distrust.
“What will you do when your mother weds, Lady Louisa?” said Radleigh.
She hated that question. It unsettled her, forced her to face the bleakness of her future without Jardine.
She lifted her chin. “Live with my mother and my new stepfather, of course.”
Radleigh squeezed her hand. His arm was solid and strong beneath. “You were not made for such a life.”
She stiffened. Did he mean to declare himself? “On the contrary, sir. Nothing would please me more.”
“No, no, my lady.” His voice thickened. He captured her hand and raised it for a kiss.
“Sir!” She snatched her hand away.
He chuckled. “Ah, that offends your maidenly sensibilities, does it? Forgive me. I forgot myself.” His smile deepened. “Are you afraid of me, Lady Louisa? Don’t be.”
She forced a brightness to her tone that she was far from feeling. “Afraid? Of course not! You startled me, merely.”
She chose her next words carefully. Better to set the rules from the start. Then there’d be no misunderstanding between them. She knew she’d betray her revulsion if he attempted to further their physical intimacy.
“If I seem startled by your . . . er . . . attentions, it’s because I don’t . . .” She fluttered a hand as if explanation were rather beyond her. “I am not the sort of lady who appreciates dalliance, Mr. Radleigh. Perhaps it is a certain coldness in my nature, but physical expressions of affection fill me with repugnance.” She smiled gently. “Such displays— if you don’t mind my saying so—are rather more suited to the lower orders.” Ugh, she sounded insufferable!
He watched her for a moment with a disquieting gleam in his eye. She hoped she hadn’t set herself up as a challenge to his masculinity.
But Radleigh made no attempt to change her mind. He turned and led her back toward the drawing room. “I must leave London for a few days, but on my return, I’d like to wait on your brother. Would that be acceptable to you?”
The lantern light glimmered palely on his fair hair. His gaze seemed to deepen, so intense, it captured her, held her fast. The notion that he might kiss her, given the slightest encouragement, passed through her mind. Jardine would have whisked her into the shadows by now.
But although his breathing came a little faster, Radleigh didn’t forget himself a second time.
Thank God . An embrace would have tested her commitment to this cause to its limit.
Ought she to continue with this charade? He’d caught her off guard tonight. She hadn’t expected him to propose until the house party. If she rejected him now, there’d be no excuse for her to attend the party, much less the mysterious Mrs. Burton.
Louisa forced a smile. “I’ll tell my brother to expect you.”
Five
JARDINE arrived home muddy, wet, exhausted, and savage with frustration. He’d spent the past week on reconnaissance, trying to get a handle on exactly how large a player this Radleigh was in England’s seedy world of organized crime.
But it seemed Radleigh was a man without history. Scant intelligence had arrived from Africa, where he claimed to have lived before settling in England a few months previously.
That was only to be expected, of course. British intelligence gatherers tended to concentrate their efforts closer to home. But Jardine had hoped to find out more about
They strolled beneath bobbing paper lanterns, the soft tinted light playing over them. It was a romantic scene, and she wasn’t entirely surprised when Radleigh covered her hand with his large one and pressed it.
Panic rippled through her.
Oh, this was not a welcome sign. She would have to decide, here and now, how far she was prepared to go to achieve her mission. Fail to draw the line now and she’d make the fatal error of showing her distrust.
“What will you do when your mother weds, Lady Louisa?” said Radleigh.
She hated that question. It unsettled her, forced her to face the bleakness of her future without Jardine.
She lifted her chin. “Live with my mother and my new stepfather, of course.”
Radleigh squeezed her hand. His arm was solid and strong beneath. “You were not made for such a life.”
She stiffened. Did he mean to declare himself? “On the contrary, sir. Nothing would please me more.”
“No, no, my lady.” His voice thickened. He captured her hand and raised it for a kiss.
“Sir!” She snatched her hand away.
He chuckled. “Ah, that offends your maidenly sensibilities, does it? Forgive me. I forgot myself.” His smile deepened. “Are you afraid of me, Lady Louisa? Don’t be.”
She forced a brightness to her tone that she was far from feeling. “Afraid? Of course not! You startled me, merely.”
She chose her next words carefully. Better to set the rules from the start. Then there’d be no misunderstanding between them. She knew she’d betray her revulsion if he attempted to further their physical intimacy.
“If I seem startled by your . . . er . . . attentions, it’s because I don’t . . .” She fluttered a hand as if explanation were rather beyond her. “I am not the sort of lady who appreciates dalliance, Mr. Radleigh. Perhaps it is a certain coldness in my nature, but physical expressions of affection fill me with repugnance.” She smiled gently. “Such displays— if you don’t mind my saying so—are rather more suited to the lower orders.” Ugh, she sounded insufferable!
He watched her for a moment with a disquieting gleam in his eye. She hoped she hadn’t set herself up as a challenge to his masculinity.
But Radleigh made no attempt to change her mind. He turned and led her back toward the drawing room. “I must leave London for a few days, but on my return, I’d like to wait on your brother. Would that be acceptable to you?”
The lantern light glimmered palely on his fair hair. His gaze seemed to deepen, so intense, it captured her, held her fast. The notion that he might kiss her, given the slightest encouragement, passed through her mind. Jardine would have whisked her into the shadows by now.
But although his breathing came a little faster, Radleigh didn’t forget himself a second time.
Thank God . An embrace would have tested her commitment to this cause to its limit.
Ought she to continue with this charade? He’d caught her off guard tonight. She hadn’t expected him to propose until the house party. If she rejected him now, there’d be no excuse for her to attend the party, much less the mysterious Mrs. Burton.
Louisa forced a smile. “I’ll tell my brother to expect you.”
Five
JARDINE arrived home muddy, wet, exhausted, and savage with frustration. He’d spent the past week on reconnaissance, trying to get a handle on exactly how large a player this Radleigh was in England’s seedy world of organized crime.
But it seemed Radleigh was a man without history. Scant intelligence had arrived from Africa, where he claimed to have lived before settling in England a few months previously.
That was only to be expected, of course. British intelligence gatherers tended to concentrate their efforts closer to home. But Jardine had hoped to find out more about
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